I have been wanting to watch this film for quite some time now but for reasons didn't make the effort to see it. I even went so far as to save it on my Netflix but didn't get round to it. Finally it came on tv one night and I sat and watched it. I loved it!
Tess McGill (played by Melanie Griffith) is a frustrated and talented secretary who just wants to be taken seriously and given a chance to show her work so to speak. She put herself through school and has been trying to land a secretary position with the hopes of working her way up eventually I imagine. Tess is blessed with beauty and men find her spunk very attractive which might not be so bad except that this seems to make her male bosses feel that they can take advantage of her so to speak. Thankfully Tess doesn't take any crap from anyone.
Unfortunately this leaves Tess with the situation of her word versus her former bosses words and her former bosses sides are taken essentially. Tess has one more shot or she's out the door. On her last shot Tess finds work as the secretary of Katharine Parker (played by Sigourney Weaver).
At first things go well. Katharine seems to be a cool boss who values her employees and their input. Tess shares some of her ideas with Katharine under the assumption that Katharine will give her credit because Katharine tells her that she will give Tess credit for good ideas. Katharine comes back to Tess and tells her that her big idea was refused but encourages Tess to keep trying.
After Katharine is laid up with a broken leg from a skiing accident, Tess works to fulfill Katharine's obligations. While Tess is working, she finds that Katharine lied to her and is trying to present Tess's ideas as her own. Tess is devastated and goes home. When she gets home she finds her boyfriend Mick (played by Alec Baldwin) having sex with a sort of mutual friend Doreen (played by Elizabeth Whitcraft). Tess leaves the apartment amid Mick's protestations.
Tess determines to see her idea come to fruition but with herself getting the justified credit. She poses as her boss as far as having her boss's position and makes efforts to connect with the right people to make her idea happen. Along the way she meets Jack Trainer (played by Harrison Ford) who helps her get her idea heard by the people that can make the idea become reality. While working with together, sparks fly between Jack and Tess.
And so Tess is left with a lot of on her plate. Does she pursue Jack? Is she going to get back together with Mick? What happens when Katharine comes back to work? What happens if anyone finds out about her deception?
I had heard this story described as a kind of modern Cinderella and I agree. It is definitely an 80s Cinderella. The story was very well written and the characters were great.
I loved that Tess had so much spunk. It was very easy to root for her. It was also nice to have such an independent minded woman to admire and possibly emulate. Tess doesn't seem to take things for granted for the most part. She believes in working for goals and it shows in her actions. She isn't keen on the lying part even from the beginning.
Jack was definitely the "handsome prince" to Tess's "Cinderella". He was so adorably in love with Tess from the moment that he saw her. He was also a really nice guy considering the position of power that he was in. He also doesn't appear to take things for granted and like Tess believes in hard work.
No Cinderella would be complete without a wicked stepmother. Although Katharine is a wicked boss rather than stepmother she is delightfully wicked. Sigourney Weaver played her beautifully. You understand where the character is coming from i.e. why she does the things that she does and you love to hate her. I learned after watching this film that the role of Katharine was a highly sought after role and I can appreciate why.
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